Teachers Nationwide Receive Grant Funding to Integrate Health and Wellness in Their...

Teachers Nationwide Receive Grant Funding to Integrate Health and Wellness in
Their Classrooms
Mars, Incorporated and Chicago-Based Namaste Charter School Join To Help
Teachers Fight Childhood Obesity

CHICAGO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Only three short years ago, Allison
Slade, co-founder and principal of Namaste Charter School in Chicago had a
vision to bring health and wellness into the classroom while at the same time
giving children access to high quality education. Since the opening of this
small, innovative charter school which aims to meet the needs of underserved
kindergarteners through fourth graders, Slade and her team have been
overwhelmed with phone calls from educators nationwide who want to replicate
Namaste's innovative programs in their classrooms.
In response, Namaste and Mars, Incorporated created the "I Wish I Could"
teacher grant program to help those teachers committed to introducing
Namaste's principles in their own classes. Coast to coast, 228 teachers
responded to the call for entries. Thanks to an unrestricted grant from Mars,
Incorporated, 20 teachers and schools will receive individual grants of $500
each to bring their health and wellness programs to life in the classroom.
"Mars, Incorporated is proud to support the school-based interventions and
health and wellness education inspired by Namaste," said Emily Korns, manager
of health and science communications for Mars, Incorporated. "The 'I Wish I
Could' grant program uses the model of what one charter school in Chicago has
done to help teachers facilitate healthier habits for students in their own
classrooms." The following are a sampling of some of the winning entries:

-- Terry Maki, first-grade teacher at Waterford Village Elementary outside
of Detroit, MI -- "We want to buy a pair of quality tennis shoes for
each of our students. Our plan is to establish a running club with the
goal of motivating students to build a lifelong passion for exercise
and health. Many of our first-graders don't even have the basics for
this club such as shoes. The children in our class come to school with
shoes that are hand-me-downs that don't fit properly; some are falling
apart, some are made of plastic material, some even have high heels on
them! This grant will provide 27 children with proper running shoes."

-- Patricia Kevil, physical education teacher at St. Mary School in
Hackettstown, NJ -- "I am always trying to find novel ways to spark
enthusiasm in my students. Inspiring children to want to move is a way
to promote an active lifestyle. I will use the grant money to
implement a program introducing the students to the wonderful world of
dance. The children will be exposed to multicultural folk dances from
countries around the world. I will purchase instructional CDs and
videos as well as Rhythm Sticks, Rainbow Ribbons and a CD player that
will fill our gymnasium with music."

-- Ann Davison, pre-kindergarten teacher at Hawthorne Elementary School in
Atlanta, GA -- "I teach pre-kindergarten and have a diverse group both
socioeconomically and ethnically. Much of our philosophy of teaching
includes hands-on learning. One activity my class enjoys is cooking.
With the grant we will buy materials for recipes and create a class
cookbook that the students can take home at the end of the year. The
cookbook will include healthy meal and snack alternatives."

All winning grant submissions are posted on http://www.NamasteShares.org
Web site and demonstrate the level of commitment teachers across the country
are making to incorporate health and nutrition programs in their schools.
Because of generous funding from Mars, Incorporated, educators nationwide can
also take advantage of this Web-based community to adapt its techniques and
find tools to bring Namaste-inspired ideas to life.
Educators and parents can log on to the Web site to view video of Namaste
in action. The curriculum and classroom materials are available, along with
links to other Namaste resources. The site also includes a teacher bulletin
board, which allows educators from across the country the chance to share the
ideas that are working (or not working) in their schools.
"We are thrilled to see our mission of teaching physical fitness,
nutrition and health come to life beyond Namaste," said Allison Slade,
co-founder and principal of Chicago's Namaste Charter School. "It's
gratifying to know that our little charter school is having an impact on
teachers nationwide."
For more than 25 years, Mars, Incorporated has supported nutrition
research and innovative approaches to nutrition education.
Established in 2004, Namaste Charter School takes a holistic approach to
education by focusing on physical exercise and diet along with developing
skills in general courses such as math, science and literacy. Namaste Charter
School is located at 3737 S. Paulina Street in Chicago.
Mars North America is the United States food, snack and pet care
operations of Mars, Incorporated, one of the world's leading food
manufacturers. With more than $7 billion in annual sales in the U.S., the
combined food, snack and pet care segments are a symbol of excellence for
quality brands. Headquartered in Mount Olive, New Jersey, Mars US employs
more than 9,000 associates in the United States, with 52 facilities
nationwide. The company owns some of the world's favorite brands, including
M&M'S(R) Brand, SNICKERS(R) Brand, UNCLE BEN'S(R) Brand, PEDIGREE(R) Brand
Food for Dogs, and WHISKAS(R) Brand Food for Cats.
SOURCE Mars, Incorporated

Laura Dowling of Weber Shandwick, +1-312-988-2340,
ldowling@webershandwick.com, for Mars, Incorporated